Complaint alleges Port St. Lucie city officials discriminated in fight against sober homes

PORT ST. LUCIE — City officials discriminated against recovering drug and alcohol addicts when fighting against proposed sober homes, a complaint filed under the Federal Fair Housing law and the Americans with Disabilities Act states.

This is the latest chapter in Port St. Lucie's struggle to stop rehabilitation center A Road to Recovery from opening three homes on Twig Avenue near Southwest Bayshore Boulevard. Neighbors say sober homes do not belong in a residential area and relapsing addicts could increase crime.

Last year, the city denied building permits for three six-bedroom homes that would house up to 12 people at a time, the complaint filed by the center states.

City code allows up to two unrelated people to live in a residence at a time. Officials granted a special accommodation request to A Road to Recovery to house five residents.

John Ferraro, the center's founder, said he will appeal the request because he wants to increase that number back to 12 residents. He said city officials were biased in allowing only five people per home and discriminated against recovering addicts, a protected class by the ADA.

Port St. Lucie does not comment on open litigation, spokesman Ed Cunningham said.

The complaint states the city's denial of building permits and delay of the reasonable accommodation request made housing unavailable for A Road to Recovery's current and future clients.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will now conduct an investigation.